Envoy vs NGINX

November 01, 2021

Envoy vs NGINX - A Comparison for CI/CD

When it comes to choosing the right proxy for your CI/CD pipeline, there are a lot of options to consider. Two of the most popular choices are Envoy and NGINX. Both of these proxies have their strengths and weaknesses, and choosing the right one can be a difficult task. In this blog post, we will compare Envoy and NGINX based on various parameters to help you make an informed decision.

Performance

One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a proxy is its performance. In terms of performance, both Envoy and NGINX have their strengths. Envoy is known for its high performance and low overhead. It is designed to handle high traffic loads and can be easily scaled up or down as per the requirements. On the other hand, NGINX has been a popular web server for a long time and is known for its fast and efficient performance.

However, when it comes to performance, numbers matter a lot. According to a recent benchmark by the Envoy community, Envoy outperformed NGINX in both throughput and latency. The benchmark showed that Envoy can handle up to 25% more requests per second than NGINX, with an average latency of 22% lower.

Ease of Use

Another important factor to consider when choosing a proxy is its ease of use. Envoy and NGINX both have their own configuration styles and syntax. However, Envoy has a simpler configuration that is easier to read and understand. It also supports dynamic configuration changes, which makes it easier to deploy and manage.

On the other hand, NGINX has been around for a longer time and has a well-documented configuration pattern that most developers are familiar with. However, it lacks the dynamic configuration capability of Envoy.

Community Support

When choosing a proxy for your CI/CD pipeline, it is important to consider community support. This not only ensures that the proxy is frequently updated but also provides access to a pool of knowledge that can be beneficial in solving issues and troubleshooting.

Envoy has a thriving community that is constantly improving and updating the proxy. It is backed by companies like Google and Lyft, and has a dedicated GitHub repository where issues are regularly addressed.

NGINX also has a good community support system, with an active GitHub repository and forums where users can ask questions and find answers.

Conclusion

Both Envoy and NGINX are strong choices for a proxy in a CI/CD pipeline. When it comes to performance, Envoy has a slight edge over NGINX, as demonstrated by the Envoy benchmark. However, NGINX has a simpler configuration pattern that is easier for most developers to understand. Both have strong community support, making them reliable choices for any project.

At the end of the day, the choice between Envoy and NGINX will depend on your specific requirements and preferences. We hope that this comparison has helped you make an informed decision.

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